The making of notes is an extremely important step in UPSC preparation.
Notes not only help in the preparation but are extremely useful during revisions and quick memorizing.
With research, it is been found that students tend to lose almost 45% of the information in 24 hours and if not revised then there is no point in reading in the first place.
For revision notes can be your best friends, the syllabus is so vast in UPSC that revising from the books can be very difficult.
So from the beginning of the year, you should start making notes of whatever information and books you read and find important
Are NCERT books really important for UPSC preparation?
- NCERT books provide a base for the preparation and are extremely crucial.
- NCERT books are essential for both the theoretical grounds of the exam that is prelims and mains.
- The content of NCERT books is updated every year and is highly reliable.
- From the basics to difficult topics NCERT books cover it all.
- The comprehensible pattern of the books makes them easier to remember and helps to build a stronger foundation.
Why is it Important to make notes of NCERT books?
- This is no new thing that UPSC has itself a very vast syllabus and students take months to just finish reading them.
- Effective crisp and to-the-point notes not only help in the time of revision but save a lot of time.
- Wandering around the whole book is much more of a lengthy process and revision should be quick because other portions are yet to be covered.
- Finishing the NCERT books from 6th standard to 12th is itself a big task and then remembering all of it without notes and revision is impossible.
Things to keep in mind while making notes from NCERT books
Mark the syllabus in the NCERT books according to the UPSC syllabus.
First things come first, it is very important to keep in mind what is actually in the syllabus and what is not.
If we combine all the NCERT books one aspirant should read there are lots and lots of useless stuff too and going through all of it is a sheer waste of time.
Read the chapters marked in the syllabus thoroughly.
Firstly do not try to mark up anything and identify the important portions because if you start making notes from the first instance it is very common to highlight or underline the whole book.
Try to comprehend the important parts and do not go overboard.
You can also go through the previous year’s questions and co-relate with the topic in the books and judge which ones are the most important.
So try to make notes from the second reading only when you get a hang of the chapter.
Because unnecessary points in your notes will make it a copy of the NCERT book itself and nothing else.
Make notes as short as possible.
- There is no harm in making your notes short and precise.
- Do not try to go for extra detailed notes, those are just copies of books written on a separate copy.
- Try to draw diagrams and flowcharts as much as possible for explanations.
- Keep your sentences short and if possible make notes in the language you are comfortable in.
- Make the notes in such a way that just at a glance you get the overall gist of the topic.
- Try not to copy the exact sentences from the book and make them more precise and shorter so that they can be easily remembered.
Summaries and flowcharts are game-changers.
Presenting and preparing your notes in the form of summaries and flowcharts are extremely useful and efficient.
It is seen that students tend to remember information in the form of bullet points and flowcharts rather than plain paragraphs.
This technique can make your preparation smooth especially in history, where there is any kind of series of events. Retaining is an important part and if you cannot remember then there is no point in reading that and flowcharts and summaries are best for retaining the information.
Folders and loose sheet notes should be made
Make topic wise or chapter wise loose paper notes, and organise them in different folders.
Maintaining folders will save a lot of time and you can get your specific topic notes without searching ample of copies and going through them.
Digitalize your preparation
- Nowadays everyone is taking out the best use of digital gadgets and preparation means staying away from distractions and not technology.
- You can make your notes digitally which will be more easily accessible with just one click.
- Adding links to good descriptive YouTube videos of that topic along with the notes. This was you can get reference to the topic even if you find it difficult to recall.
- Note making apps also help you edit and optimize your notes and are very less time consuming.
The main purpose of making effective notes is REVISION and practice, the more you revise the more you retain.
One of the most prominent strategy of every topper has been frequent revisions and practice.
So don’t forget to revise frequently and practice as many times as possible.
